Modena is a very pleasant town, with lots of attractive buildings and nice streets fronted by porticoes so typical for Emilia-Romagna architecture.
The main attraction in town is Piazza Grande ♥, which actually is not as grand as we originally expected. Torre Civica and Duomo exteriors are magnificent, but we could not explore the interiors because our visit coincided with daily siesta between 12:30 and 3 when everything is closed. Clock-tower of Palazzo Comunale, also on the square, is another visual highlight.
There are a couple of other attractions in town center, plus a Ferrari factory and gallery in the nearby village.
Places to Eat
A reasonable quick bite at Caffe dell’Orologio off the corner of the main square. Limited choice of food on the menu, a couple of pre-heated pasta dishes, but if your goal is a pleasant break rather than an exceptional meal, this place is not expensive, has good drink and dessert selection, and the piazzetta setting is quite agreeable.
Car parking
We parked on one of the main streets outside of the city core (5 minutes walk), by the meter. This is only convenient for a comparatively short stay.